Protect Kintampo Farmers From Loosing Farmlands And Threats From Fulani Herdsmen – Queenmother Of Yam Sellers To Gov’t.
The Queenmother of the Kintampo Co-operative Yam Producers And Marketing Society Ltd, Nana Afia Amea has observed that until government comes out with measures that could help stop landowners from selling farmlands to prospective cashew growers in the area, food shortage would hit not only in the Bono East, but also in the entire country in general.
The situation, the Queenmother indicated that if it is not tackled it in time farmers would shy away from their profession and the result would be that armed robbery would take dominance in the society.
Speaking to the Correspondent on behalf of the Queenmother Nana Afia Amea on phone, the Public Relations Officer of the Society, Mr John Njonam expressed his disappointment about the challenges that have been confronting farmers in Kintampo.
According to him yam production is a lucrative opportunity for the farmers and thus attracting the youth into it to make earns meet.
The Queenmother related that inspite of the roles playing by the farmers to remain in business they lack government support in terms of financial and farming inputs.
Nana Afia Amea said since the establishment of the Kintampo Co-operative Yam Producers And Marketing Society Ltd some years back, the area have become a hub of yam production, attracting traders from every part of the country including foreigners to transact businesses for profit making.
But the sad and unfortunate drama going on at Kintampo is that currently farmers have no access to acquire sufficient lands for farming activities, Mr John Njonam hinted.
The PRO assigned the reasons to the fact that some landowners have been selling lands to people who have developed interest in cashew production.
Portions of lands are also sold out to Fulani herdsmen for cattle rearing, stressing that in most cases these Fulani residents enchroach farms of the farmers and go scot free because the farmers allegedly stand the risk to be beaten when they put up a challenge.
Mr John Njonam indicated that the activities of both landowners and Fulani residents have been reported to the appropriate authorities for attention, but since two years now, no fruitful response has been forthcoming.
Hence the humble appeal to the government for sharp intervention to help protect the farmers from loosing their jobs.
